Apparatus for working ores of valuable metals.



No. 654,3l5. Patented July 24, I900.

v T. E. LEECE.

APPARATUS FOR WORKING [IRES 0F VALUABLE METALS.

(Application filed Sept. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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'rrnio STATES 3 PATENT Fries.

THOMAS E. LEEOE, on BISI-IO-P, CALIFORNIA.

AhPARATUS FoawoRk-mc 'oREs OF VALUABLE MizTAL.

sPEcIrrcArIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,315, dated July 24, 1900.

Applioationfiled September 26,1899.

To otZZ whom it may concern: 7

I Beit known that I, THOMAS E.LEECE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bishop, county of Inyo, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for WVorking Ores of Valuable Metals; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is designed for working the ores of valuable metals, and is especially useful for separating slimes from solutions in which they may occur and also for separating heavier and lighter parts under any condition in which they may be found associated.

It consists, essentially, of a tank and an endless traveling belt with directing-rollers, by which one portion of the belt is caused to travel through the tank in close proximity with the bottom and the other part is guided back exterior to the tank by similar rollers.

It also comprises a means for straining or separating the liquid from the heavier por tions and details of construction to be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal Vertical section through the tank. Fig. 2 is a lateral section on line a: as of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upperend of the apparatus.

In the working of ores, and especially where the crushed and pulverized ore is to be subsequently treated by cyanid or other solutions, it is desirable to separate from the ore as much as possible of the battery-water or water which may be associated with it in order that the ore can be introduced into the solution with such a proportion of moisture 'as desired. In working ores by cyanid or other solutions it is also desirable during or after the operation to recover the cyanid solution in as clear a condition as possible for subsequent use. My apparatus is designed to efiect these separations andmay be used under any other conditions where like operationsare to be performed.

A is a tank made of any suitable or desired material and having the approximately-vertical sides, horizontal bottom, and ends inclined at different angles, as shown.

B is an endless traveling belt passing over directing-pulleys G, which serve to guide it,

Serial No. 731,755. (No model.)

so that one-half of thebelt travels through the tank in close proximity to the ends and bottom, and emerging from the tank over one end it is returned by one of the directing pulleys, so as to pass beneath the tank up to the opposite end, where it is again caused to enter the tank, thus traveling continuously. At the end with the longest incline the belt extends to a considerable distance above and beyond the end of the tank before passing on its return around directing-pulley C, and at this point the ore-pulp is delivered upon the belt which is traveling outwardly from the tank. As here shown, the pulp is delivered upon the belt by means of a distributingtrough D, into which it is delivered from the battery or from its previous container, and as it passes up the incline it passes beneath a roller E, the pressure of which is adjustable by means of a screw F, and this roller presses upon the material distributed upon the belt and expresses the moisture which may be contained in the ore, causing saidmoisture to How down the incline of the front end of the tank. The material is leveled or made even upon the belt before passing beneath the roller by means of a strip D, fixed across between the feed device and the roller.

Vertical partitions G, extending across the tank, have their lower edges close to the line of travel of the belt, and these partitions have at their lower edges the flexible aprons G, which rub over the surface of the belt as it is moving upwardly over the inclined front, and they serve to keep the slimes or other material upon and in close proximity with the belt.

Any material carried up from the tank on the bottom of the belt is delivered into a chute or hopper H, which extends transversely beneath the belt and beyond the end of the inclined bottom of the tank, or upon equivalent divergent directing-boards, which prevent its falling upon that part of the belt'which is returning below to pass beneaththe bottom of the tank. I is a chute situated beneath this portion of the hopper, into which the material carried up by the belt is delivered. The operation of this portion of the device is to carry out any slimes or other sufficiently-heavy material which may be contained in the tank used in this connection, and in order to draw off the clear solution I have shown a tight box at J, having a porous filtering-bottom j,

of any suitable material, situated within the rear end of the tank, .near the top, but sufficiently low so that the overflow may take place from the box at that end. The box J has connected with it a suction-pipe K and a pressure-pipe K. When the suction-pipe is used, the vacuum produced above the porous or filtering bottom causes a flow through this bottom which will bring the clear liquid into the box from which it is discharged, leaving any slimes below this bottom. When it is desired to cleanse this bottom of any accumulations which may in time have become deposited upon it by use of a pressure-column through the pipe K, the material which has adhered to the bottom of the screen can be forced off and away from the screen, leaving the latter in condition for further operation.

In order to properly support the flexible and porous screen-bottom, I have shown a series of transverse ribs L both above and be low, and these ribs rest upon the, surface of the filter or other screen and resist both upward and downward pressure according as either may be applied to it, maintaining it in an essentially-level position.

The slimesjso called, which are found in pulp and pulverized ore to be worked, are such finely pulverized or comminuted mate- I rial that they will remain in suspension in a liquid for a long time, having almost the same specific gravity, and it is very difficult to separate these slimes from such solution.

The cyanid solution and similar solutions which are used in the working of ores must be entirely clear of the slimes before the metal in the solution can be properly precipitated by subsequent operation, and this apparatus is designed especially for such separation, which it is very effective in producing. Any material thus separated and settled from the liquid in the tank will eventually be deposited upon the traveling belt, where it passes over the bottom and up the front end of the tank, and will thus be continually carried out and discharged.

In order to maintain the liquid in the tank in as quiet a condition as possible and not to agitate it by the movement of the belt entering the tank, I have shown an inclined diaphragm O, which stands parallel with the rear end of the tank and extends to a point close to the bottom, so that the belt traveling down this inclined portion will be cut off from the main body of the tank.

It will be understood, as previously stated, that this apparatus may be used in other operations, such as the separating of water with which the ore may be saturated before the ore is delivered into the cyanid or other solution tanks which form a part of the apparatus necessary in carrying out the process of extracting the metal. A tank similar to the one herein described will therefore be so placed that the ore discharged from the battery, together with the water which has been employed during its pulverizing in the wet-crushing process, will be delivered upon the traveling belt near the front end, as previously described, and the ore being evenly distributed over the belt will pass beneath the pressure-roller E, the belt traveling over the inclined front surface, so that sufficient pressure may be brought upon the passing pulp to express the greater portion of the moisture with which it is saturated. This moisture runs back down into the tank and allows the ore to pass on and be discharged at the upper end, as previously described, so that it is delivered into the succeeding apparatus for further operation.

The belt may be washed where it passes over the upper directing-rollers O by means of a jet discharged against the surface of the belt from a jet-pipe, as at P. A revolving brush Q is arranged to further clean the belt at this point. All material delivered from the belt at this end falls into the chute I.

The endless traveling belt may also be used, with its tank, without the filtering devices at J when the solution is settled, coagulated, or cleared of the slimes by the use of lime or other equivalent substance, in which operation the slimes will be deposited upon the belt and carried off as before, while the clear solution will overflow without the intervening filter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an apparatus for the working of ores, a containing-tank having an endless travelingbelt with directing-rollers by which one portion is caused to follow the interior along the line of the end, bottom and the front, and the other portion is returned to the point of beginning beneath and exterior to the tank, and a pressure-roller beneath which the up per part of the belt passes as it emerges from the tank.

2. In an apparatus for working ores, a con taining-tank having an endless traveling belt, directing-rollers above the upper ends and beneath the bottom of the tank by which the belt is caused to follow the interior of the tank to the point of discharge, and is thence returned outside of the tank, a supply device by which material is delivered upon the belt at the front, and a pressure-roller extending across the upper part of the belt beneath which the pulp passes after being delivered upon the belt.

3. In an apparatus for working ores, a tank and an endless traveling belt with directingrollers above the upper ends and beneath the bottom of the tank whereby one portion of the belt is caused to follow the interior outline of the ends and bottom of the tank and the other is returned exterior thereto, a supply device discharging upon the belt beyond the front end of the tank, a pressure-roller ICC IIO

above the upper part of the belt and means for adjusting said roller, beneath which roller the belt passes after passing the supply device, and diaphragms extending across the in terior of the tank at intervals with the flexilole lower edges in proximity with the surface of the traveling belt.

4. In an apparatus for working ores, a tank, an endless, guided, traveling belt, a supply device and pressure-roller at the exit end of the tank, a receiving directing-chute between the two parts of the belt beyond the end of the tank, and means located exterior to the end of the tank for cleansing the belt.

5. In an apparatus for working ores, a tank having an endless traveling belt and directing-rollers by which the belt is caused to travel in close proximity with the interior ends and bottom and is returned exterior to and beneath the bottom of the tank, means for supplying the material to be operated upon to the belt, an overflow and separating device consisting of a porous or filtered bottomed box with pipes through which a vacuum or pressure may be produced within the box, and transverse supports against which the filter or screen-surface is supported from opposite sides.

6. An apparatusfor-separating ores and 

